State Pursuing Major Jobs Initiative for Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The state has quietly launched a major initiative to develop a series of economic development hubs in Buffalo aimed at attracting medical, energy and technology companies that would generate thousands of good-paying jobs.

The state recently issued a request for proposals seeking developers to construct two or three facilities in the city and partner with a handful of anchor tenants who would employ an estimated 1,500 to 2,000. Much like a shopping mall, these large tenants would attract small and mid-sized firms that would add to that employment base and build a critical mass in fields regarded as regional strengths.

The state intends to select a developer in January and expects companies to open for business in 2015, according to the RFP and a state official familiar with the initiative.